Finding the best harness for a Labradoodle can be quite a challenge, as the market is flooded with both good and bad products.
Labradoodles are a large breed of dog made popular for their ability to retrieve game during a shoot due to their ‘soft’ mouths.
Anyone who owns or has ever play-wrestled with a Doodle will know all about having their arm clamped playfully in their ‘soft’ jaws.
They’re a breed made for water with dual coats, and due to their high intelligence, they’re super easy to train.
Labradoodles are loyal, highly intelligent dogs with very mild temperaments that make them excellent as a family pet.
Best Harness for a Labradoodle: Summary List
- 🏆 Ruffwear All Day No-Pull Dog Harness
- FrontPet Heavy Duty Dog Lifting
- Kurgo Journey Harness
- Chai’s Choice Outdoor Adventure Harness
- Julius-K9 162P0 K9 PowerHarness
- Embark Active Dog Harness
- Petsafe Easy Walk Dog Harness
- EzyDog Quickfit Dog Harness
So with that said, let’s take a look at our most recommended dog harnesses for a Labradoodle!
Best Labradoodle Harnesses
🏆 Ruffwear All Day No-Pull Dog Harness
This has been our winner for the last previous years, and this year makes no exception. The best Labradoodle harnesses – the Ruffwear Front Range Harness.
This is my favorite type of harness for a Labradoodle. They’re hugely popular in the US and UK with both dog owners and trainers.
I felt like we needed something substantial for our rather big dog, and the Ruffwear Front Range Harness is all about excelling in every important category.
The Ruffwear Front Range Harness is a reliable, dependable, and stylish dog harness that should last a good length of time depending on the breed. It’s particularly good for dogs who pull or those you’re training not to pull.
The Front Range is a perfect go-to harness for any dog. It slips over your dog’s neck without any hassle and equipped with a really sturdy clip, you’re ready to leave go in seconds.
The chest has very soft padding which provides comfort and a secure fit, and its rugged materials mean that it’s a safe bet no matter the weather.
This harness does pretty much everything right, which is why it is our Test Winner for 2019!
Pros
- Four adjustment points for a perfect custom fit
- Comes in lots of bright colors for visibility and style
- ID pocket lets you slip in tags or a paper note for easy identification.
- Made from high-quality materials
Cons
- A bit pricy
FrontPet Heavy Duty Dog Lifting
This harness is number 2 on our list, for the reason that it’s quite a specialized harness.
This harness is specially designed for hiking and that kind of adventure.
One of our testers Labradoodle has issues with his rear legs and hasn’t got the stamina for daily walks or hikes for an extended period of time, and will often just lay down and refuse to move due to because of the pain.
And having to carry the dog in your arms for several weeks, is probably not the best idea either.
So using this type of harness for our walks/hikes has proved invaluable, and it allows the dog to still enjoy the outdoors and not be stranded when the pains become too much.
The harness is a bit hard to adjust to a perfect fit, so putting it on your dog can prove a bit of a challenge, but when you’ve got it fixed, it feels very robust.
Pros
- Lifting a dog becomes way easier
- Extremely durable materials
- Perfect for a situation where your dog might need some extra help when walking
Cons
- A bit awkward to equip the harness on the dog
Kurgo Journey Harness
Harnesses such as the Kurgo Journes what comes with front attachment loops give you a lot more control over your Labradoodle, especially if it’s a puller, seeing as a quick tug of the leash will turn your dog around to face you and away from the direction they’re pulling in.
The Kurgo Journey Harness comes with leash attachment points on both the back and the chest, and its design as a vest-shaped harness keeps pressure away from your dog’s throat.
It also makes the harness feel more sturdy and it also makes it easier for you to see which end of the harness is which.
It’s available in sizes that should fit any size of the dog, so make sure you get the correct size from the guide they offer.
This is a very sturdy harness, which also means that it’s really surprisingly heavy when you pick it up. Ours is large, and that feels like a perfect fit for our Labradoodle.
Sizing issues seem to be pretty common with this harness. For most dogs, there aren’t any problems, but there are a lot of complaints that the loop for the neck is too big while the loop placed on the chest can be too small.
Pros
- Can be used as a non-restrictive no-pull front-clip harness
- Handle on back for helping dog over obstacles
- Buckles are made of metal
- Stays firmly in place, and does not wobble around on your dog’s body
Cons
- Sizing issues, make sure you get one that fits perfectly
- Front chest plate can sometimes irritate the inside of the front legs on some dogs
- Quite heavy
Chai’s Choice Outdoor Adventure Harness
Not quite as sturdy as the FrontPet harness, but also very capable when going on an outdoor adventure.
If you’re looking for a cheaper version of the Ruffwear but with more padding than the Kurgo, the Chai’s Choice is probably your best option.
It has dual-attachment loops, and it’s available in five sizes and six different colors – and as mentioned less expensive than the Ruffwear Harness.
The first thing you usually notice about Chai’s Choice is that it’s a very sleek-looking harness. All the available colors look great, and it’s also sporting reflective strips to improve visibility in low-light conditions.
But it is not only when it comes to appearances this harness excels, but this is also a very durable and tough harness.
The wide chest and padding around the stomach area help prevent soreness from rubbing against your dog, while the durable zinc-alloy D-Rings mean that you have some very secure attachment points for the leash.
It is also worth noting that the outer layer is made from durable and scratch-resistant material, so this is a harness that won’t break anytime soon.
One downside worth taking note of with the Chai’s Choice is that it doesn’t have a proper handle for carrying the dog like many of the harnesses on this list.
This might not be an issue for you if you have a miniature Labradoodle, but a harness with a rubber grip can make quick corrections much easier with a regular-sized Labradoodle.
Pros
- Durable harness with high-quality construction
- Very soft padding
- Attachment points for both a front and a back attached leash
- Great price
Cons
- Doesn’t have a proper handle
Julius-K9 PowerHarness
The Julius-K9 is a very sturdy, and quite attractive no-pull harness, which features a metal ring on it’s back for attaching a leash and a large, adjustable handle for better control of your furry friend.
Like many other similar harnesses, it’s very breathable and it comes on and off rather easily.
And as usual with a Julius-K9, it also has attachments for saddlebags and a torch, so your Labradoodle can even carry around his own treats, toys, and poop bags. That’s quite a nice feature.
One of the only downsides to this harness is, that like some other brands, it doesn’t have a chest ring for attaching a leash.
My dog is usually in the boot of the car which means it doesn’t require a seatbelt attachment, but that might not apply to everyone, so it remains a negative point to an otherwise great harness.
Pros
- Sturdy buckles that are quite easy to clip on and off
- Waterproof, breathable material
- Larger versions have great features like the saddlebag attachments
Cons
- There is no chest ring
- A little pricy
Embark Active Dog Harness
The next harness we tried was the Embark Active Dog Harness next.
It’s another no-pull dog harness with great pros and a couple of cons.
Firstly, it’s very easy to put on and take off your dog without much hassle.
It has a buckle on each side that secures the dog in the harness, and it also has a nifty ring on the back and chest to hook your leash on to.
It comes with a soft padded interior to minimize chafing and also has a reflective trim to keep your dog more easily visible during nighttime walks.
There are multiple points of adjustment for a perfect fit.
This harness has a design that’s intended to distribute the pressure during a walk across a wider area of the dog’s body.
The chest ring also functions as a pull deterrent when training, and can even be used as a seatbelt attachment in your car.
But one of the best things about the Embark harness is that it comes with a 100% money back and satisfaction guarantee, so it might be worth a try.
A nice Labradoodle Harness but may not be for everyone.
Pros
- Comfortable design
- Dual buckles
- Dual lead attachment clips
- Easily fitted and removed
- Money-back guarantee
Cons
- A little on the pricey
- Some testers mentioned the lack of neck adjustment flexibility
Petsafe Easy Walk Dog Harness
This harness looks pretty simple because it is just that, but it works great for exerting a bit more authority over your dog while going for a walk, while also moving the pressure away from the throat of your dog to more durable areas of its body.
The Petsafe harness is designed with the “opposition reflex” in mind, meaning that the dog will instinctively lean away from where it feels pressure being hardest on his chest by the pull of the lead.
This will make it much easier to walk a dog. On top of that, the chest ring is moved a bit to the side, which automatically turns your dog towards you. Simple, but quite genius design.
If you’re trying and not succeeding in training your dog to walk in a controlled manner, this harness might be worth a purchase.
It also has a nice two-year guarantee and is easily adjustable to prevent any chafing, and it even has a free leash included in the price.
Not the strongest of harnesses if you have a heavy puller but otherwise fairly decent harness.
Pros
- Easy to put on and off
- Greatly reduces pulling due to the “opposition reflex” design
- Free leash
- Cheap
- Two-year guarantee
Cons
- A bit too basic
- Doesn’t feel sturdy enough to deal with very strong dogs
EzyDog Quickfit Harness
As with many similar brands, the EzyDog is made from a neoprene material that is waterproof, which is perfect for Doodles, as they love the water, and it also has high-visibility reflective stitching throughout to improve the visibility at night-time.
A single but strong buckle secures your dog firmly in the harness, and a single D-ring on the back makes attaching the leash, quite easy.
It’s a strong, durable, and simple-to-fit harness. It doesn’t, however, have very many features, and perhaps most importantly it doesn’t come with a warranty like most other harnesses.
Pros
- Easy to fit
- Strong and durable design
- Reflective stitching for night-time visibility
- Different types of colors and sizes
Cons
- Lacks a chest ring
- One of the more pricy harnesses
- No warranty
Why Use a Labradoodle Harness?
Due to their nature as retrieving dogs with very high energy levels, a Labradoodle requires lots of both physical and mental exercise.
We’ve always much preferred using harnesses rather than collars, due to them being much sturdier than any collar.
And that is just one of the reasons we’ve found a harness to be of massive benefit when walking a Labradoodle.
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What Makes a Good Labradoodle Harness?
Labradoodles are one of the larger breeds of dogs. And as with any bigger dog, when they pull on their leash – you should be ready to hold on.
If your Labradoodle is wearing a collar, this will usually result in a lot of discomfort to their neck if they suddenly pull when you’re going for a walk. If your dog is really unlucky, this can even lead to damage to its throat.
When looking for the perfect harness, the main things to look for are one that fits well, is as comfortable as possible, and can help reduce the pulling behavior from your dog when training or walking with it.
If you end up with a poor product, the problems you could end up facing could be that it will tighten under the dog’s legs when they pull. This can be the cause of a lot of pain because your dog is getting its’ skin pinched.
And not only will this be very uncomfortable and hurt your dog, but it can also result in increasing the pulling behavior as they will try and do anything they can to get away from the cause of the pain.
Summary
Labradoodles are fantastic dogs but they require lots and lots of exercise, so you’ll need to find a harness that works great for you.
There is a wide range of options available, from standard body-fitted versions like the Embark to all-around products like the Ruffwear.
Every doodle is different, so try and base your decision on your dog’s individual needs.
When choosing, take into account:
- Size of the dog
- The dog’s age
- The temperament of your dog
- Maturity/level of training
As stated previously, we love the Ruffwear in particular as it’s just an overall great harness.
But in the end, whichever you choose to go for will very much depend on how much you are willing to spend, and which design you prefer.
Each harness comes with its own pros and cons which need is something you should consider before making your final decision.
Final notes
As you probably know as a doodle-owner, they are very adventurous dogs who love jumping in the water or going on large adventures, so pick a harness that will definitely stay on them no matter the situation.
You should also keep in mind that Labradoodles grow very fast and will quickly become too large for a lot of harnesses if you choose to get one when your dog is a puppy.
You could perhaps consider test-driving a few of the cheaper options before investing in the one you really want when your Labradoodle is fully grown.
But as always, do what you think is the best for your dog in terms of wear-ability, comfort, and, most importantly, safety.
We hope you found our list of the best Labradoodle harness helpful.
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